U2 Boasts Top Grossing Tour Of 2011

December 30, 2011 at 7:57 AM (PT)

The biggest touring act in 2011, both in NORTH AMERICA and worldwide, was U2, YAHOO reports. The IRISH rockers grossed $156 million in NORTH AMERICA on the strength of 1.7 million tickets sold, according to POLLSTAR. They grossed $231.9 million worldwide off 2.39 million tickets.

The second highest-grossing touring act in NORTH AMERICA was TAYLOR SWIFT ($97.7 million). She was followed by KENNY CHESNEY ($84.6 million), LADY GAGA ($63.7 million) and BON JOVI ($57.1 million). The worldwide top five.,besides U2, were the reunited TAKE THAT ($224 million), BON JOVI ($148.8 million), SWIFT ($104.2 million) and ROGER WATERS ($103.6 million).

The year's top 25 biggest tours grossed a combined $2.1 billion worldwide, which is roughly the same as in 2010. In NORTH AMERICA, there was a 4% dip among the top 25, which grossed $1.19 billion. On the bright side, however, the entire concert industry had a 15% increase in ticket sales compared with 2010, despite 20% fewer reported shows, according to BILLBOARD.